Bonds we Build
by MrWanted Outlaw John
Summary: Ninjas attempt to forge the bonds of friendship amidst the clash of steel and the screams of men.


**Bonds we Build**

**Summary:** Ninjas attempt to forge the bonds of friendship amidst the clash of steel and the screams of men.

Chapter One: Team Seven

"Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto, from his perch high in the trees, woke up and sighed. His vision blurred but eventually found focus as the sunrays kissed his wild golden hair and reflected from his blue eyes. Like a cat he yawned and tugged mightily at the fibers of his muscles before rolling lazily off the branch. He landed deftly some fifty feet below and found his jacket.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" the voice came again.

Naruto found him; it was a tall, pale-skinned man with dark eyes. Naruto might have mistaken him for a normal ninja, he wore the Hidden Leaf headband proudly, but his flak jacket was a familiar navy blue and sported the flame fan insignia of the Military Police. Naruto spit in the grass before meeting the man's eyes.

"Damn, I thought I lost you!" Naruto said. "You Uchihas just don't know when to quit."

"Don't play games with me, Uzumaki," the Uchiha said. "You're not a ninja yet. Until you you're sworn in by the Hokage and taken by your Jounin instructor, you're still under strict surveillance. You know that the punishment for avoiding surveillance is, don't you?"

"I didn't do shit," Naruto said, before grinning defiantly at the man. "It's not my fault your guys can't keep up. Come on then officer … bring me in!"

The two gazed menacingly at each other, Naruto grinning and the Uchiha stone-faced. The Uchiha snorted before turning and leaping into the foliage. Naruto spit into the ground again before grabbing his orange jacket from the ground. He reached into the jacket's pocket and pulled out a fine piece of blue cloth with a metal on it; the plate was marked with the spiral leaf insignia of the Hidden Leaf village.

Naruto took off sprinting, gliding giddily through the thick, sun-kissed forest until he landed in a field of grass. The grass was swaying in the gentle wind, and Naruto imagined that it looked like the sea. At the center of the field was a bronze statue, twenty feet at its highest. It was an old man waring some strange armor with a giant pole in his hands. A placard read:

"_In memory of the Third Hokage, the God of Ninja and the Fire's Shadow."_

Naruto wrapped his ninja headband tightly around his forehead.

"I made it … old geezer," Naruto said. "Just like you said I would. I kept fighting, no matter what. I'm gonna keep fighting!"

Naruto stared intently into the bronze eyes of the statues; they reflected golden in the unusually powerful glow of the sun. The moment lasted nearly a minute in silence. It ended for Naruto with a sudden, and sharp, pain in the back of his head.

"Hey, I found you!"

Naruto turned in a pivot, prepared to do battle but his fists stopped short at the sight of his foe; it was just a snot-nosed little kid.

"Hey, brat!" Naruto yelled. "The hell do you think you're doing! I'm a ninja, don't you know I could kill you with a finger?"

"Ha, you could never kill me!" Konohamaru said, sauntering over with his ego touching the clouds. "I'm the grandson of the Third Hokage, the God of Ninja. He was the greatest Hokage to ever live. One day, I'm gonna be even stronger than him and you won't stand a chance against me!"

"Brat, the only thing you have in common with the old geezer is your diapers!" Naruto said. "Besides, everyone knows the Fourth Hokage was the greatest Hokage."

"Take that back," Konohamaru said, swinging a tiny fist. "My grandfather named me Konohamaru to commemorate the village! Call me by name and don't disrespect my grandfather!"

Naruto side stepped the punch before wagging his finger in Konohamaru's face. Konohamaru continued his onslaught, swinging wildly in every direction in hopes of grazing his nemesis. Naruto continued to deftly dodge, never putting too much space between them, and continued his taunts.

"Don't you know kid," Naruto said, "during the Third Great Ninja war, enemy ninjas were told to flee on sight when they saw the Fourth."

"So?" Konohamaru huffed. "My grandfather was the _God of Ninja_. He led the Hidden Leaf through the First Great Ninja War after the first two Hokages died, and the Second and Third Wars. How could you say that after everything he did for you?! You're the reason he died in the first place!"

Naruto stopped moving and Konohamaru punched him in the gut. Konohamaru suddenly went flush and rigid. He avoided Naruto's gaze and pulled his fist back.

"S-sorry, I just-."

"Don't worry about it brat," Naruto interrupted. "I'm not mad at you. You're right … that night; it was my fault that the old geezer died. If I hadn't been so weak … if had just been strong enough to defend myself then he would still be here. That's why I'm gonna keep fighting until I'm strong enough to kill his murderer. I'll knock out anyone that gets in way! Including you, brat!"

Naruto turned on a pivot and prepared to leap off.

"Wait!" Konohamaru said as Naruto began to leave, halting the older boy in his tracks. "Naruto … one day, when I'm Hokage, I'll make you my right hand man!"

"Thanks … Konohamaru."

_**Uchiha District …**_

The Uchiha district was in surreal silence when the sun began to peak its crown above its golden throne in the clouds. The morning time was holy to the Uchiha clan; it was said among them that it was at dawn that the great Izanagi had swooped down from the heavens and blessed their first ancestor with the gift of the Sharingan.

Uchiha Sasuke woke, trained and prepared in silence. He wrapped his new Hidden Leaf headband tightly around his forehead before making his way to the kitchen. His mother, Mikoto, was silently sipping on a cup of a tea; she had made him a cup and some rice balls. Sasuke joined her in silence.

Sasuke only spoke when the sun was high enough in the sky.

"Where is father?" he asked.

"Oh, you know that man," Mikoto said. "He got up earlier than usual and went to off work. Oh, what would this village do without him … or you, my sweet ninja warrior?"

Mikoto reached out and ruffled her son's hair and they shared a private laugh between them; they both knew that if company, or his father, was present, Sasuke would have snatched her arm out of the sky like a hawk would a pigeon. Sasuke ate his rice balls quietly from then on and grabbed two of them for the road.

"Good luck today, Sasuke," Mikoto said. "You'll make the clan proud. Make sure to stop by and see your father before you go!"

Sasuke darted quickly out of the home and chucked his rice balls into an ally for the stray cats. The district was alive today and the sun was particularly vibrant. The streets were full with vendors and blue-jacketed Uchiha police. They all greeted him merrily:

"Good luck, Sasuke!"

"Knock 'em dead, Sasuke!"

"Show them the Uchiha pride, Sasuke!"

Sasuke found the beating heart of the district; it was a large brick building with "Military Police" written at the top of it. On his way in he slipped past his distant cousin Inazu, who said he was on a mission to find the 'demon boy'. Sasuke slipped through the busy and noisy interior until he found his father's office and entered without knocking.

Uchiha Fugaku was a man whose face was carved from stone. The deep stress lines and his frown had been weathered into his face over his several years of reign over the Uchiha Military Police. Sasuke sat silently, knowing better than to disturb his father when his brows were furrowed deep with concentration.

"Sasuke," Fugaku said finally, his voice like grating sandpaper. "Today is a very important day … but not for you. Today is an important day for the clan. One day, you will lead this clan and this department. With that in mind, know that everything you do from this day forward is a reflection of the clan. Our enemies are vast, Sasuke … they wish to undermine the order we have established in this village. Do not give them ammunition.

"Soon, you will be a Chunin and then I will admit you into the Military Police Corps. Until then, you are to uphold the clan's honor on the battlefields."

"I won't fail you, father," Sasuke said, standing.

"Of course," Fugaku said. "After all, you are my son."

Taking his cue, Sasuke made his way out but before he could disappear into the greater Hidden Leaf, he felt a powerful hand ruffling his hair. He tried to swat it away, but the hand was long gone.

"Shisui!" Sasuke said, stunned at the sight of his cousin, a tall man with curly hair and dark-ringed eyes. "I thought you were still in the south, hunting that Missing Ninja. When did you get back?"

"Just last night," Shisui said, smiling. "You didn't think I'd miss your graduation did you? The chick was a real pain the in ass, but we cornered her three days ago. As soon as we got here, I left the others to bring her back and rushed up."

"You're just irresponsible," Sasuke said with a mock sigh. "More like you just wanted to get home early."

"Hey, hey don't say stuff like that or your dad will fry my ass," Shisui said. "Come on man; let's go before you're late."

_**Fourth District, Haruno Residence …**_

"Sakura!" Yu yelled. "Wake your lazy ass up! You're gonna be late!"

"I'm up dad, jeez!" Sakura screeched from her room. "I'll be out in a second!"

Sakura ran a few brush strokes through her long pink hair. Finally the rose-colored locks submitted to her whim and sat perfectly still on her back. The rest of her ritual was unusually fast but not unsteady; she lined her eyes, pressed her clothes and was soon admiring her handy work in the mirror.

"You ready?" Sakura asked.

Sakura could not find the confidence to assure her; her usually spunky inner core was drowning in doubts. There was a deep and heavy feeling in her gut that reminded her that this entire experience was incredibly real. The time for playing ninja was over now; they wouldn't be fighting at half-speed anymore. The part of her that was small and weak told her that she could not keep up.

The majority of their graduating class consisted of students who came from ninja families, and a significant amount came from actual ninja clans. Her father was just a local merchant and her mother was a nurse; she had no place on the battlefield.

The darkness of her thoughts persisted until she heard her father screaming from the kitchen again.

"Come on girl," Sakura said, taking a deep breath. "Have courage! We're gonna knock 'em dead."

In the kitchen, Yu, a round man with emerald eyes like his daughter, had prepared them a breakfast of bacon and eggs.

"My favorite!" Sakura said as she sat before her plate and suddenly began to inhale her food.

"Woah," Yu said. "Finally give up on that diet?"

"Shut up, dad!" Sakura said. "How's a girl supposed to be ready for the big day if she doesn't fuel up? My diet matters, but not so much that I'd lose my edge over it! Hey … where's mom?"

"Oh, they called her in late last night," Yu said. "Damned ninjas don't understand that we normal people like to sleep! Word is that they caught that Missing Ninja who took off a few weeks ago; she was real beat up and they needed your mother to heal her … not mention the guy she ripped apart."

Sakura blanched at the thought.

"I don't know how mom can see that stuff all the time," Sakura said. "I've seen people bleed at the academy … but never as bad as she sees it."

"You okay, sugar?"

"I'm fine, jeez!" Sakura said while shooting her father a stern glare. "I'm not a baby anymore, I'm a ninja. Treat me like one!"

"You never could lie to me Sakura," Yu said. "You're scared huh? It's okay to be scared! Starting anything new is a scary thing. I remember when I first started my business, I was scared to death. A small part of me kept saying … 'go and get a job or your wife and kid will starve', but I silenced it eventually. Courage isn't the lack of fear; it's fighting through the fear."

Sakura put her bowl down and eventually found her father's gaze; she felt a fire light in her stomach. She pushed the bowl away.

"All of this food, dad!" Sakura said. "Jeez, how's a girl supposed to keep her figure?! Come on, let's go or we'll be late!"

_**District One …**_

The square outside of the Hokage's office was spilling with curious people. The semi-annual graduation of cadets from the Ninja Academy tended to draw large crowds, but this one was particularly large and ravenous. Civilians lined the square, keeping a safe distance from the stiff cadets at the center. Ninjas lined the adjacent rooftops, every bit as curious as their civilian counterparts.

"I hear this is the best academy class to graduate in years!"

"Every major ninja clan is represented this year!"

"Not just that, most of them have heirs that are graduating this year. This is amazing!"

"But look, that _boy_ is one of them. I can't believe they're letting that thing become a ninja."

"Don't talk about it."

Naruto stood stiffly alongside his classmates. It was a warm and cloudless day, but he felt cold. Every time he felt a pair of frozen eyes glance over him his back would stiffen just a bit more. He could not make out the words of the hodgepodge of whispers but he could feel the intent. It bit him. He was almost ready to burst, to scream at them that he was alive when suddenly everyone hushed and all eyes snapped to the sky.

The Hokage had come; he stood stiffly on the balcony of the Hokage Office and watched them with eyes cold as grey metal. Danzo glanced over the new recruits with a keen eye; this was a group that was well worth his notice.

"Cadets!" Danzo said. "Mission first! Let those words sink into you. You have been chosen by the Hidden Leaf to lay down your lives for the betterment of this village. If the citizens are the leaves of the tree, then you are joining the trunk of the tree. With your bare hands you build the foundation of this village and with those same hands you will strike down those who oppose the tree of the Hidden Leaf. Number one in the class, step forward!"

Sasuke separated himself from his teammates and saluted with his fist on his heart. In the crowd, Shisui frowned at his cousin's eagerness.

"Lord Hokage!" Sasuke said.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Danzo said. "You are the face that stands out in this class. Lead and your classmates will follow! But remember, you are but one face among many. When the time comes, be ready to abandon all that you hold dear for the sake of your village! Mission first!"

"Ninjas always!" the class hollered in union.

Danzo vanished back into his office; the crowd immediately began to disperse.

"Alright everyone, circle up, circle up," said Umino Iruka, the young Chunin instructor of the class. "I'm very proud of everyone here. You've all worked very hard these last few years and have exceeded my expectations. You'll serve this village and the Land of Fire very well. Now, I'm going to split you up into your assigned Genin teams. You'll work in these teams for a long time, maybe your entire careers, so be sure to smile … no matter who you end up with. Team One …"

Naruto frowned deeply; he did not like any of his classmates. They were all bearable, however, save for a certain few.

"Team Seven will be: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke."

"Damn it," Naruto said. "No matter what, I can't get away from these Uchihas!"

Soon after the teams had been set, Jounin began to trickle into square and pick up their teams. Team Seven found itself, hours later, sitting on a bench in the square in the sweltering sun. They kept their distance from each other and no one said a word. Eventually, Naruto began to keep time by counting the beads of sweat that dripped from his forehead.

"Bastard!" Naruto said, jumping to his feet.

Sasuke eyed him with boredom and some contempt, Sakura watched him wearily; her parents were very explicit when they told her to keep her distance from Uzumaki Naruto.

"Are you talking about me?" a voice said from behind them.

All three of them jumped and turned on a dime. There was a Jounin with spiky white hair, a masked lower face and a pair of dull gray eyes staring them down. He had a short-sword strapped to back, positioned straight up and down.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto asked.

"I'm your new sensei, Hatake Kakashi," the man said; his voice and demeanor could only be described as bored. "You know, you shouldn't curse people you haven't met … it's a bad way to start out a relationship."

"You're late," Sasuke said. "I've never known a Jounin to be late."

"I was lost on the road of life," Kakashi said. "Come on, follow me."

Kakashi stepped off at a slow pace; so slow it gave Naruto a headache. They twisted and turned through the Hidden Leaf proper before finally finding themselves at a training ground deep in the foliage of the leaf. There was a small stream running through the place and Kakashi stopped on a tiny bridge connecting opposite sides of it.

"Well," Kakashi said, leaning against the railing of the bridge, "go ahead and introduce yourselves."

"You're the stranger here," Naruto muttered, crossing his hands defiantly across his chest.

"Hmm, a good point," Kakashi said. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. I like … hm, well I actually like lots of things. As for my dislikes, well … I guess you could say I have a few. My goals for the future … hm, I guess I've never really thought about it. Oh! And my hobbies, those are none of your business!"

The trio tried to sear into his mind with their glares.

"Sensei, you didn't tell us anything," Sakura said.

"I told you all I know," Kakashi said. "And since you seem so eager to share, why don't we start with you?"

"Ah well," Sakura said. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I like reading books and gardening. I dislike bullies. My hobbies are studying and helping my mom pick medicinal herbs. And my goals for the future are to become a successful Jounin and one day raise a family!"

"Interesting," Kakashi said. "Now how about you, the one with the tortured eyes?"

Sasuke and Naruto shared a brief, confused glance. Sasuke stepped forward.

"My name is Sasuke, of the Uchiha Clan," Sasuke said. "My likes are my family and my dislikes are those who try to undermine the peace of our village. My hobbies are training with my father and cousins. My ambition is to become the head of the Uchiha Military Police Department and keep the Hidden Leaf Village safe from internal and external threats."

"That is admirable," Kakashi said. "And finally, the loudmouth."

"Watch it, scarecrow-sensei," Naruto said. "My names Uzumaki Naruto, but everyone knows that already. I like to fight. I hate people who look down on me and I can't stand cowards who are scared to stand and fight. My hobbies are … uh, none of your business! My dream is to become strong enough to kill a certain man."

"Well that's interesting I guess," Kakashi said. "At least I can say I got an interesting bunch. We'll get to know each other much better as time passes; that is of course if you three can manage to successfully complete your first mission. I'm sure your Academy instructor told you, Lord Hokage has no use or want for weaklings amongst his ninjas. Failing your first mission means that your ninja license will be revoked."

"Bring it on," Naruto said.

"What's the mission?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi deftly pointed off to the edge of the foliage. Team Seven turned to find a group of four eying them from a far.

"No way …" Naruto said.

"Are those?" Sakura began, "Our classmates?"

Having been noticed, the far off team suddenly came close. They were lead by a tall Jounin in all blue, wearing black glasses. Team Seven immediately recognized the trio as Hajime, Ami and Kota, three of their former classmates. Hajime was tall with brown hair and eyes. Ami was a thin girl with purple hair. Kota was dark looking buy with wide spectacled glasses and a sword at his hip. Hajime and Naruto locked gazes and immediately the sparks began to fly.

"Ebisu," Kakashi greeted the other Jounin.

"Kakashi," Ebisu replied curtly.

"Alright, let's get this started," Kakashi said, before walking off to the center of the training grounds. The others followed him anxiously.

Naruto could feel the excitement building in his throat; he felt as if he would throw up if they did not hurry up and start.

"The mission is simple," Kakashi said, turning to face all of them. "I have hidden a single bell somewhere on Training Grounds Seven. The first team to retrieve the bell will have succeeded. The other team will have failed and will lose their ninja status. There is only one rule; your entire team has to be alive to win. Nothing is off limits. You will have two hours; if both teams fail to retrieve the bell by then, we'll decide who passed or failed."

"Are there any questions?" Ebisu asked.

"I have one, sensei," Ami said. "Since Team Seven's sensei is the one that placed the bell, how do we know that he hasn't told them were its hidden. You should place the bell, sensei."

Sasuke scowled at her.

"Ami, clever as ever," Ebisu said. "A good question, but I assure you that Kakashi-sensei is very trustworthy. Anymore questions?"

"I have one," Hajime said, before pointing at Naruto. "Why are we letting him fight? Everyone knows he's just a bloodthirsty monster, even if adults won't tell us why. In the Academy, he was known for using excessive force. He won't even be interested in getting the bell, just in hurting others."

"Tell you what," Naruto said, injured, "if you beg loud enough I'll let you live."

"It doesn't matter," Kakashi said. "Defend yourself with lethal force. I'm getting bored of this. No more questions … begin!"

"See you around losers!" Naruto said, before vanishing into the foliage.

"Idiot," Sasuke said under his breath. He threw a glance at Sakura and considered for a moment enlisting her help; he immediately thought against it when he saw how red her face was from apprehension. He would have to do this himself. Without a word to her, Sasuke took off smoothly into the foliage.

Sakura, frozen like an ice cube, suddenly melted and found the courage to hurriedly chase after Sasuke.

"S-Sasuke, wait!"

Team Six watched wearily as the three disappeared into different parts of the forest. Kakashi resisted the urge to groan, sigh and curse the names of his Genin; the remaining Genin had the courtesy to do it for him.

"What a bunch of fools," Ami said. "Come on guys, if we look together, we'll find the bell in no time. Let's do the wedge formation we learned in the Academy, that'll keep us safe in case that Uzumaki boy decides to attack us."

Ami placed Hajime to the front, put Kota to the back left and took back right. On her command they cautiously took off into the woods.

Kakashi slipped a small orange book out of his green flak jacket, found a tree to lie on and began to read. To his dismay, his sunlight was soon blocked by a smug looking Ebisu. Kakashi sighed and braced his ears.

"Forgive me, Kakashi," Ebisu said, "but I must confess, I warned my team that your team would be erratic and that if they stuck together, they would win. It's a shame really, someone renowned as the Hidden Leaf's White Light would have made such a good Jounin instructor."

"You're so confident your team will win?" Kakashi asked.

"So confident," Ebisu said, pulling a small green book from his jacket, "that I will bet my Icha Icha Fight Club for your Icha Icha Paradise."

A white light gleamed in Kakashi's eyes. "The new edition," he said. "I did not realize that it was in distribution."

"Only in the Land of Tea," Ebisu said. "You're Paradise is a collector's addition, I've had my eye on it for quite a while. Do we have a bet?"

"Deal," Kakashi said. "But before you go mouthing off about certain victory, don't forget that Sasuke is a prodigy of the Uchiha Clan and could probably beat your whole team alone. Sakura was scored higher on the Academy exit exams than all three of your students and Naruto … well, you know all about him."

Ebisu's snide smirk suddenly fell flat.

In the center of the forest, Naruto cursed. He realized suddenly that finding a bell in a forest was like finding a needle in a haystack, or worse, like finding a bell in a forest! It had been more than an hour and it was sweltering hot. While there was ample shade, the humidity within the forest made his jacket stick to his body and irritate his skin. Fate seemed to lead Naruto to the creek and he grinned. He took his jacket and pants off and leaped into the creek.

"That's more like it," he said, after a gulp of water. "This is so freakin' dumb. What kind of mission has me combing through the forest for a freakin' bell. This is kid work. Ninjas are supposed to be fighting."

Fate seemed to smile on Naruto again as he caught sight of Team Six moving through the trees in a movement formation. An impish grin caught Naruto's face.

Team Six was quick, speeding through the forest in search of the bell. They had been keen to avoid the other team, having changed course three times to avoid running into Sasuke. They did not notice Naruto lounging in the creek as they sped past it.

"We've been through here three times," Hajime said. "Ami, this isn't working."

"Just keep looking," Ami said. "We only have about forty minutes left. We can't afford to change course now."

"You think maybe he buried it?" Kota asked.

"I think-," Hajime began.

He was cut off by Ami's scream as three kunai barely missed her legs. Naruto flew through their formation, kicking Ami across the side and sending her sailing away, Kota leaped after her with a shout. Hajime did not get the chance.

Naruto kicked at Hajime. The boy blocked and flipped down to the ground. Naruto landed across from him, still bearing the same impish grin.

"Monster!" Hajime said. "Leave us alone!"

"Monster … monster, monster, monster, monster!" Naruto yelled. "That's all I hear out of you. Just what makes me such a monster, huh, Hajime? I have a name you know. I'm gonna beat you until you call me by my name."

"I'm not scared of you," Hajime said. "Monster!"

Naruto roared and took off after him. Hajime blocked a punch. Naruto spun and tried to kick him in the side. Hajime covered his gut and lashed out with punch. Naruto ducked, grabbed the arm and with a spin threw Hajime a couple of feet away. Hajime landed on his feet and quickly ran through a couple of a hand seals. Naruto took followed like the wind.

Hajime inhaled quickly and exhaled.

"_Ninja Art: Cold Flame Deception Jutsu!"_

Hajime exhaled a wide wall of orange flames! Naruto, unable to halt his moment, crashed into them and fell to the ground. The flames stuck to him and he rolled helplessly. It took him almost five seconds to realize they did not burn. Hajime erupted from Naruto's periphery and punched him square in the face before kneeing him in the gut.

Naruto's body suddenly vanished in a cloud of smoke.

The real Naruto tackled Hajime to the ground. They rolled for a bit and Naruto ended up on top of him. Naruto punched him in the nose, savoring the crunchy feeling of his nemesis' nose shattering beneath his might. The blows came in rapid, relentless succession. Naruto grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close.

"Say my name!" Naruto said.

Hajime was too dazed to speak. Hearing a familiar whizzing sound, Naruto jumped away. A pair of shuriken slid through where his skull had just been. Kota and Ami landed deftly in front of Hajime. Kota was bearing a short sword; the sword seemed to pale in comparison to the silver steel of his glare behind his glasses.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" Kota said. "I have no quarrel with you, but if you try to kill my teammate, I'll take you out!"

"I wasn't gonna kill him," Naruto said, nearly pouting. "And you take me out? I'd like to see you try!"

Before Naruto could charge him, Ami threw down an explosive bomb. The trio was engulfed in thick black smoke. Naruto scowled and tried to take after them. A dozen or so shuriken emerged from the smoke; Naruto barely avoided being impaled.

"Oh, that was close!" Naruto said.

The trio was gone by that time. Kota put Hajime on his back, and Ami played guard. They moved faster than they had ever moved before, fearful that the blond-haired menace would be on their tail. When they felt safe enough, Kota propped Hajime against a tree and they waited. Eternity seemed to pass before Hajime was able to stand.

"Damn that monster," Hajime said.

"He threw off our pattern and wasted a lot of our time," Ami said. "We won't be able to find the bell with so little time since we have to start from scratch."

"We can't just give up!" Kota said. "I will become a ninja, no matter what! We have to keep looking!"

"There's not enough time!" Ami said.

"Come on Ami," Hajime said, "think of something. You're the smart one."

"Well, there is one way," Ami said. "But I'm not sure if you guys will like it. The instructor said that they would 'decide the winner' if neither team gets the bell. We can avoid failing if we can disqualify Team Seven from passing. They'll have to name us the victors. The only way to do that … is to kill a member of Team Seven."

"That's … that's," Kota said, nearly shaking.

"It's the only way, Kota," Ami said. "You have to pass, remember and reclaim your father's title."

Kota only nodded, feeling the bile rise in his throat.

"Who's it gonna be?" Hajime said.

"Best not to go after Uzumaki," Ami said. "He was dead last in rankings at the Academy, but that's because he never showed up to class. He's too tough and might kill one of us. As for Sasuke … he's even scarier than Uzumaki. It's gonna have to be Sakura."

Sakura, deep inside the woods, had found herself at an impasse. She was certain now that Team Seven was going to fail. There was barely half an hour left before the end of the exam and she had not caught sight of anything shiny, let alone a bell. A small, guilty, part of her was relieved; she had no excuses to avoid joining her mother at the hospital now. The larger, more grandeur part of her that had forced her through the Academy was merely ashamed.

Sakura had followed after Sasuke for all of twenty minutes; he had totally ignored her pleas for a team up between them. She had spent the rest of the time aimlessly scouring the woods for a bell. Her fingers and hair were filled with dirt and her spirit was shaking; five years at the Ninja Academy gone to waste, she thought.

Sakura was thinking of heading back to the clearing when she saw Ami standing just ten meters in front of her, glaring her down coldly. Hajime was standing next to her, looking into the dirt. Sakura turned and found Kota standing behind her, his eyes shaded behind his glasses and his sword drawn.

"Ami, what's going on?" Sakura asked.

"We have to kill you," Ami said without flinching. "It's the only way we can pass."

Sakura immediately drew a kunai from her weapon's pouch.

"What the heck are you talking about?" Sakura said. "You pass by getting the bell, not by killing the other team."

"No one is going to find the bell," Ami said. "The only way to pass is to make sure that your team can't pass."

"I'm sorry," Kota said.

Sakura jumped, trying to get into the trees. Hajime intercepted her; he backhanded her and midair and sent her crashing to the ground. Sakura rolled to her feet. Ami came from the corners of her vision and punched her in the face. Kota kicked her in the stomach; Sakura's eyes went bleary. Another punch connected with her jaw. Sakura fell like a puppet cut from its strings; she could vaguely make out their words.

"Well, I'm not gonna do it," Hajime said.

"It was my idea," Ami said, "I'll do it."

Kota turned his back on them as Ami pulled out a kunai and raised it.

Sasuke appeared from the shadows like a wraith. With a quick movement he knocked the kunai out of Ami's hand and kicked her away. The other two regained their senses and tried to grab him. Sasuke smoothly sidestepped Kota, grabbed Hajime and hurled him. Kota unsheathed his sword. Sasuke blocked it with a kunai, passed it and punched Kota hard enough to send him reeling.

"Scum," Sasuke said. "I'll take you all out."

"Hey!" Naruto said, landing between Sasuke and the trio. "I found you guys!"

Team Six did not wait; they took off running in the opposite direction immediately. Naruto watched them take off curiously, before turning to find Sakura shakily standing to her feet. She was bleeding profusely from the mouth and nose; her entire body was shaking. Naruto had never seen someone look worse.

"What the hell happened to you?" Naruto asked.

"They tried to kill her," Sasuke said. "Since the exam requires that we pass as a team, they thought they would just kill her and disqualify us."

"Those bastards!" Naruto said. "That's low, even for scum like Hajime and Ami!"

"They've got a point," Sasuke said. "There's less than twenty minutes left and no one has a clue where the bell is. At this rate, all of us are going to be turned back to the Academy. My father will disown me."

Sasuke's face stung at the thought of facing his father and telling him he was fired on his first day as a ninja. It was beyond shame and humiliation. The clan would be ridiculed and the careful order and balance their family had created in the Hidden Leaf would be disrupted by his weakness. He would not allow that to happen.

"Naruto, we have to kill one of them," Sasuke said.

"It's looking that way," Naruto said. "But I'm not killing someone that can't defend themselves. Those chumps are too easy pickings."

"I'll do it," Sasuke said. "We have to hurry up and find them. Based off how quickly they ran, they've given up trying to pass; they just want to stay alive. They'll be hiding. We'll have to flush them out quickly. I'll set the forest on fire if I have to."

"No need," Naruto said, grinning. "I'll find them in a minute flat."

Naruto laced through a series of hand seals.

"_Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"_

The air around them grew hot and unstable, shifting nervously. A massive cloud of white smoke clogged their vision for just a moment. It vanished almost instantly, leaving in its place what seemed to be endless clones of Naruto. Sasuke took a shocked step back. The clones roared with glee at being brought to life.

"Alright boys!" Naruto said. "Flush 'em out!"

The clones roared again before taking off into the tree tops. Naruto grinned triumphantly at Sasuke's look of shock. Sasuke quickly retook his stoic demeanor; he refused to be surprised by someone as weak as Uzumaki Naruto. Sasuke turned to Sakura.

"Will you be alright?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura nodded her head shakily.

"Found them!" Naruto said. "Follow me!"

Naruto took in the direction one of his clones had been killed from.

"Stay close!" Sasuke said to Sakura, before taking off.

Naruto slowed his pace to let his teammates catch up. They saw Team Six a few meters in front of them, trying to outrun a pack of Naruto's wild clones. With a thought, Naruto made the clones vanish into thin air.

Team Six stopped suddenly and turned to face them. Naruto grinned and quickened his pace. With a single leap, he deftly sailed past a sword strike from Kota. Naruto drop kicked Hajime in the chest, sending the boy sailing out into the clearing ahead. Naruto ducked under a kunai strike from Ami and grabbed her leg. With a heave he flung her after Hajime and followed.

In the clearing, Hajime and Ami had taken up fighting stances. Naruto landed silently across from them and started to run through hand seals.

"_Shadow Clone Jutsu!"_

Five Naruto clones appeared. Naruto and his clones jumped into the fray. Two of the clones tackled Ami out of the way and within seconds she was unconscious. Hajime dodged a few blows, but a clone came from behind him and latched on tight. Naruto and the remaining clones quickly beat him into a deep sleep.

Sasuke and Kota came dueling out of the foliage. Kota was quick with his sword, twisting and turning and never ceasing his offense lest Sasuke overwhelm him. Sasuke jumped back to avoid a sword strike. Kota hurled a handful of shuriken at him. Sasuke threw his own shuriken; there was a metallic clang as all the flying blades collided in midair.

Sasuke ran through hand seals.

"_Fire Style: Phoenix Flame Jutsu!"_

Sasuke inhaled and proceeded to spit out a string of tiny fireballs. Kota dodged hurriedly. Sasuke got him off guard, punching him. Kota quickly lashed out with his blade and made Sasuke make distance between them.

Sakura stumbled out of the foliage in time to see Naruto annihilate the first two members of Team Six. Sasuke and Kota had come out battling just seconds later. Everything was incredibly surreal for her; the sun was shining brighter than normal and the air seemed crisper. Despite that, she had the distinct feeling of being drunk. Everything was spinning and blurring together like a smeared painting.

She stumbled her way to the edge of the training ground and without warning, found herself standing face to face with a giant, black rock. She could still hear Sasuke and Kota exchanging blows in the background. After a few moments, she suddenly realized that the rock was actually the memorial stone; there were thousands of names carved on it. It was the names of those who had died in battle for the village.

It was the last straw. Sakura's knees buckled as the fear suddenly rushed back into her. Her breathing shortened and tears flowed freely down her cheeks. She fell and sobbed. The images of Team Six standing over her, preparing to execute her crashed through her mind. Her hands and head fell in the dirt and she continued to sob.

Sasuke saw his opportunity to finish his fight. With two kunai in hand, he launched forward at Kota. The boy fought with a ferocity that took Sasuke off guard, but Sasuke's training was infinitely superior. He moved cleanly around Kota's strikes. Kota came down hard with the sword.

Sasuke bent his legs and extending his left hand; he felt a slight reverberation through his hand as his kunai blocked Kota's sword. With a quick pivot he turned and moved to sink his final blade into Kota's gut.

A tight hand latched around Sasuke's wrist. Ebisu flicked Sasuke's wrist away. Kota, shocked, fell to his knees.

"Hey, what the hell?!" Naruto said.

"Time's up," said Kakashi. "Looks like both teams fail."

"No!" Sasuke said. "We were clearly the superior team. Even without the bell, we should still be the ones to pass."

"Superior team?" Kakashi asked. "I don't know about that. The superior fighters, that's for sure. But I saw two very terrible teams. Don't worry too much about it Sasuke, I'm sure you'll get another chance next round."

Kakashi eyed his two male students readily; they were both poised to attack him and he was almost anxious. The looks in their eyes were all too familiar. Sasuke's was a look he recognized; an ice-cold determination that he had once had. Naruto's look was more like a flame, all encompassing and able to swallow anything in its way; he remembered that too.

"Sensei, wait!" Sakura said. "I have the bell! I have the bell!"

Sakura rose from the dirt in front of the Memorial Stone and raised her hand; a small bell rang lightly in her grip.

"Well, I guess that settles it then," Kakashi said. "I placed the bell on top of the memorial stone. Like I expected, you were all too single-minded to even think about checking the clearings instead of the woods. Congratulations, Team Seven. At least you're lucky."

Ebisu has rounding up his team; Kota was still frozen stiff with shock and fear.

"Alright, Sakura!" Naruto said. "You saved us!"

Kakashi gestured for the two boys to follow him to the Memorial Stone. The team stood together and Kakashi made his way in front of them.

"Well … where do I start," Kakashi said. "First, I'm disappointed. None of you even considered working together until it was almost too late. If you'd put your heads together from the start, you might have found the bell without having to resort to killing fellow Leaf ninjas.

"Sakura," Kakashi continued, "you're too gentle. You had the right idea trying to team up with Sasuke, but you gave up on it too early. You should have done more to convince him. Sasuke, I'm disappointed that you didn't try to rely on your teammates earlier; if you plan on leading the Military Police one day, then I'm sure you know that you have to learn to depend on your teammates. But … I'm proud of you. When Sakura needed your help, you came. Remember always, those who abandon their teammates are less than trash. Now … Naruto."

Kakashi stopped for a second and sighed. Naruto crossed his hands over his chest and stared his sensei down defiantly.

"You ran off without even thinking about your teammates," Kakashi said. "You didn't make any serious effort to find the bell and then you attacked the other team with no goal in mind but to attack them. If those had been decently skilled ninjas, you would have been killed. I hope all three of you learned something today … being a ninja is not a game and not an adventure. It's a job and a dangerous one. Your former classmates were willing to kill you to get the job done, imagine what your enemies will do. I expect you all here tomorrow before sunrise. You're dismissed."

Without another word, Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Damn, what a talker," Naruto said. "Anyway, how about we get something to eat?!"

Naruto turned zealously to his new teammates. Sasuke eyed him wearily and Sakura did not even look at him. The rush of emotions that had filled him after passing the exam suddenly passed as he remembered who he was.

"Right," Naruto said. "See you around."

Sasuke sighed after Naruto took off. His hands were shaking; he had barely avoided disaster. His eyes glazed over thinking about all the ways this could have gone wrong.

"_At this age, big brother was already a Jounin,"_ Sasuke thought. _"I can barely become a Genin."_

"Sasuke," Sakura said, snapping the boy out of his thoughts. "Thank you … you saved my life."

Sasuke finally found the time to get a good look at her. Her entire body was still shaking. She was trying to put on a strong front, but he knew that she had been truly shaken. Kakashi's words cut Sasuke like a knife. Once again he felt his weakness permeating the air. How could lead the Military Police and protect the village when he could not even lead a Genin team and protect his teammate?

"Come on, Sakura," Sasuke said. "I'll walk you home."

_**District Nine …**_

Naruto never entered his apartment through the door; he had lost the key months ago and did not have the patience to deal with the landlord for a new one. So instead, he left his window open at all times. The apartment was seven stories high, so he did not worry about intruders. With a few well placed jumps, he landed on his balcony and slipped into his home.

Not wasting a moment, he stripped down to his underwear and made a beeline for the kitchen. With the patience of heron, Naruto boiled a bowl of water and prepared his best dish of chicken ramen. The sweet scent of the magical dish made his knees weak. He could not wait to sit and was already eating when he stepped out of the kitchen.

Naruto nearly choked on his noodles.

Kakashi sitting on a chair near his bed, eyeing his room with contempt.

"K-Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said. "What the hell?! You followed me home!"

"Calm down, calm down, Naruto," Kakashi said. "Put on some pants … we need to talk."

"What's going on?" Naruto asked. "It's not about the test, is it? Look, I got your drift. I can't go trying to do everything alone. I've heard it a million times and I don't need it. I do things my way and that's all there is to it!"

Kakashi eyed him silently; Naruto realized suddenly the conversation would be much more somber.

"Naruto, tell me everything about that night," Kakashi said. "Tell me about the night Lord Third Hokage died."

Naruto went stiff at the mere thought of it. He glared Kakashi down, hoping that the man would back away from the subject. Kakashi did not budge. An entire minute passed in silence between them. Naruto sighed and sat down at the edge of his bed. His stomach turned at the mere thought of what had happened that night, seven years ago now.

"I lived in District Three then," Naruto said. "Old man Hokage had me put somewhere he could check on me all the time, even with the Uchiha watching me. One night, that bastard … _Orochimaru_ … that bastard came snatched me up. He took me the forest and I-I …"

Never felt his muscles tighten at the memory of that pale skinned, yellow-eyed monster.

"I couldn't do anything," Naruto said. "He left me there with some people and hid. I guess the village was looking for me. Old man Hokage found me first and he killed the guys guarding me in a second. I tried to warn him … but I couldn't talk I was so damn scared!"

Naruto's fist lashed out and punctured the wall. "I was too damn scared to even talk," he said. "Orochimaru came out of nowhere and before either of us knew it, old man Hokage was dead."

Naruto felt his eyes grow hot, but he had long since moved past crying. All he felt now was white hot rage; the mere memory of Orochimaru enough to drive him into a fit.

"I remember that bastard laughing," Naruto said. "Laughing and taunting as the old man bled away and I couldn't do anything but cry. I didn't have the courage to fight him. Some Uchiha came out of nowhere … he was barely older than me but he could fight. He fought Orochimaru off and took me back singlehanded."

Kakashi only nodded; there was only one person in the village at the time that could have fought off Orochimaru.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," Kakashi said. "You shouldn't have had to go through that. Orochimaru knew he couldn't kill Lord Third Hokage in head-on combat, so he used you to ambush him."

"Don't be sorry," Naruto said, his eyes shining as they met Kakashi's gaze. "I was too weak to fight him then and the old man suffered because of it. When I meet that snake bastard again, I'll rip him apart with my bear hands!"

Kakashi turned his gaze away and did not dignify Naruto's rage; he saw no use in telling Naruto that it was unlikely he would ever be strong enough to go toe to toe with Orochimaru, a member of the Legendary Sannin, one of the Hidden Leaf's all-time most powerful ninjas and arguably it's most terrifying enemy.

"Naruto," Kakashi forced himself to say. "Have you wondered why your life has been the way it's been? Why the Uchiha police have guarded you so jealously since your birth … why the Lord Third Hokage kept tabs on you?"

"No one's ever told me," Naruto said. "Is that why you're here? Have I finally earned the truth?"

"Lord Hokage left it at my discretion to inform you," Kakashi said. "No time like the present, my sensei always said. You know the story of the Fourth Hokage and the Nine Tailed Fox attack thirteen years ago, don't you?"

"Who doesn't?" Naruto asked, feeling heavy in his gut.

"The story goes that the Fourth Hokage killed the Nine Tailed Fox that night," Kakashi said. "But that's not true. Even the First Hokage, with all of his godly power, could not destroy the Nine Tailed Fox. The Tailed Beasts can only be sealed. The night of the attack, Naruto, I was with the Third Hokage. The Third Hokage spearheaded the team that drove the beast from the village while the Fourth Hokage fought whoever was controlling it."

"Controlling it?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know much about it," Kakashi said. "This is what the Third told me before he passed. In order to defeat the beast, in the end, the Fourth Hokage was forced to seal it into a human vessel."

"Me?" Naruto said.

"Yes, you," Kakashi said.

The silence was thick in the air. Naruto lay on his bed and sprawled his legs wide and free. The ceiling was particularly white today, he noticed. He turned the new information over in his head a few times. He was not particularly shocked or angry. All he felt was a powerful understanding; his entire life suddenly came together as if the final piece of the puzzle had been unlocked.

"My whole life they've treated me like a monster, called me a demon … ignored my existence like the dirt they walk on," Naruto said. "Now I know why and it makes so much sense."

"Only you can decide if you're a monster, Naruto," Kakashi said. "From what I understand, the Fourth's seal is the most perfect seal ever created. You are perfectly insulated from the beast. They made me your Jounin instructor because they thought I would be one of the few people able to kill you if you lose control."

Naruto said nothing; he just continued to twirl further into something not quite anger or sadness.

"That's not why I accepted," Kakashi said. "The Fourth Hokage was my sensei, Naruto. He … he was your father."

Naruto's breath hitched at that; his fate as the Nine Tailed Fox's container suddenly seemed insignificant.

"I will help you grow strong, Naruto," Kakashi said. "I know you have a lot to think about, so I'll leave for now. See you tomorrow."

Naruto did not know if Kakashi was there or long before when he started screaming. He felt a red, grinding rage that seared at the forefront of his mind. He imagined his father, who he had longed to know for as long as he could remember, damning him to a life of eternal hell and strife. He grabbed his ramen bowl and smashed it against a wall.

"To hell with him!" Naruto said. "To hell with all of them! I don't need a father, a friend or a sensei! As long as I can fight! As long as I can fight, I'll stay alive!"

_**Military Police Building …**_

Fugaku closed a heavy door behind him. He grabbed a towel on a table and wiped the sweat from his face and the blood from his head; torture was laborious work. One of his men had prepared him dinner that was exceedingly cold. He could not see outside, but he imagined that the sun had long ago sunk into the inky darkness of space. Mikoto would not be happy with him.

"Uncle!" Shisui said, entering the torture preparation room. "I see you've been working hard."

"Shisui," Fugaku said. "I gave you three days off. An order is an order. Go home."

"Please don't be that way, uncle," Shisui said. "I figured the woman would be hard to break, even for you. So I came to offer a hand. My eyes can see through her uncle, in a way that even you can't."

Fugaku resisted the urge to sneer; Shisui's pride, though deserved, was never welcomed.

"Leave, Shisui," Fugaku said. "Now."

"ROOT has the building surrounded," Shisui said.

"Excuse me?" Fugaku asked.

"You heard me uncle," Shisui said. "You're busy with the woman and the few people on duty are too busy playing games to notice. At first I thought they were going to try to abduct the woman in the dead of the night. Now, I think they're just gonna walk through the front door."

Sure enough, they did. Three men, wearing black cloaks and white, shapeless masks slipped through the front doors like ghosts. The Uchihas in the building rose immediately at the sight of them, but dared not to attack the Hokage's personal elite. Within seconds of entering, the three had made their way to the torture preparation room and were being stared down by Fugaku and Shisui.

"What is the meaning of this?" Fugaku asked.

"We have come for the woman," the leader amongst them, wearing a Tengu mask, said. "We are to transfer her to root facilities immediately for questioning."

"Missing Ninja are the jurisdiction of the Military Police," Shisui said. "She's ours to question."

"This order was given to us by the ROOT Commander and approved by Lord Hokage," Tengu said, pulling a paper with the Hokage's seal from his pocket.

"So _he_ organized this," Fugaku said. "Enough influence to even move the Hokage to his whim."

"Watch your tongue, Lord Fugaku," Tengu said. "Or you will lose it. Now give us the woman."

_**One hour later, ROOT HQ …**_

Mitarashi Anko did not fear pain; many would say that she even relished it. She did not, but pain was no stranger to her. She had been raised and trained by Orochimaru, the cruelest creature to ever live. There had been times in her life when Orochimaru had made her scream and beg for something sweet as pain.

So when Military Police had caught her, it was more disappointment than fear that filled her. When Fugaku had begun the delicate work of trying to torture her for something he knew she did not have, it was only annoyance she could have been said to be feeling. But now, sitting chained in the lightless, dank cell of ROOT HQ, Anko felt apprehension.

Anko knew who was coming. She would sing for him.

Days might have passed before the large metal door creaked open and a slender man walked in with a lamp. He was not wearing the gaudy black suit and masks that ROOT members were generally forced to wear. Instead he just wore a plain black t-shirt and pants. He hung the lantern high so they could both see and then he pulled a chair up and sat cross-legged, waiting.

Anko took minutes to find the strength to look at him. He was just a boy, barely nineteen years old but there were streaks around his eyes that made him seem as wise as the deceased Third Hokage. He had coal-black eyes, like all Uchihas. But unlike Fugaku, he had a gentleness in his gaze that he could not, or did not try, to hide.

"Itachi," Anko said, her throat chaffing with thirst.

"Ms. Mitarashi," Itachi said. "Were you running to Orochimaru?"

"Don't give me that shit!" Anko said, meeting Itachi's gaze. "You know damn well I was running away from him!"

**End Chapter**

What's up, fans? "Bonds we Build" has been reborn! I promise it will be a thousand times better. For those paying close attention to my other big story, "A Thousand Hands", have no fear. It has not been abandoned. Both stories are occurring in the same timeline, so pay close attention for the finer details of my Naruto world! Thank you so much for your patience! Read, review and enjoy!


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